There are so many "cat missing" signs adorning Brockley lamp-posts that we've always been surprised no-one's ever sent us a request to help find their lost pets. Until now.

Friend of BC, Muireann writes:

One of my neighbours (near Crofton Park station, flats above shop parade on west side of Brockley road opposite Mr Lawrence) has lost his pet snake! 'Flea' escaped in the early hours of Tuesday through the front flat window and hopefully has not strayed too far. My neighbour stresses that while quite large, Flea is harmless and has no fangs, venom or anything dangerous to be afraid of. The council and the RSPCA have been informed, but if anyone sees Flea please call 07745 215457.

Whether the missing snake and the slew of missing cats are connected is not clear.

I don’t think it would be a Python as they have fangs and teeth, unless he had some unwanted dental work, it does sound like some sort of a constrictor though. It’s difficult with the weather at the moment but he will probably be basking in a sunny secluded spot at some point not far from where he escaped.

Hurrah, all cats can sleep soundly tonight, Flea has been reunited with her owner.

She made her way down from the top floor window to street level, and then across to the station (Nick you were spot on!). A passer-by found her there and took her to the police station. Her owner thanks everyone who looked for her and assures us she will not be escaping again any time soon.

How does a snake get all the way across a busy road without a) getting run-over, and b) one of about 100 car drivers that were sure to drive past in that time actually stopping and thinking "hang on, perhaps I should do something about this snake roaming loose along Brockley Road"!? At least there was one good citizen to help her on her way.

If my memory isn't playing tricks with me I think that it is exotic pets, like Flea, that the council's animal welfare people see most of these days.

Apparently - or so the guy that ran that service told me - other boroughs still have feral cats and dogs to worry about, but we've managed to rid our streets of these and now it's missing snakes that are often the cause of concern.

I have a box of coca tea bags at home, it helps with altitude sickness (I realise this is not a common problem in Brockley) and gives you energy so I think you may be drinking quite a lot of it MB. You can chew the leaves as well.

....nah there is not enough cocaine in a few leaves to be of any significance in that respect Kate. Drink a few hundred cups or chew your way through a couple of kilos of leaves and you might get there although you would probably be on the loo for some time. You can also get 'decocainised' tea, just like decaf. Coca Cola uses the extract as well although it is non narcotic.

I could be wrong, I know it used to have small traces of cocaine in it but as you say that was done away with in early 1900s. I thought they now supplemented it with a decocainised extract version and added caffeine.

Looking at the internet, the 2 principal ingredients of Coca Cola pre 20th century were cocaine and caffeine from coca leaves and kola nuts. It says on the internet that they still use cocaine free coca leaves (and cola nuts) in production today! I think Coca Cola was originally marketed as a pick me up, medicinal drink - the Lucozade or Red Bull of its day